Since the invention of the integrated circuit, the semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of various electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allows more components to be integrated into a given area.
These integration improvements are essentially two-dimensional (2D) in nature, in that the volume occupied by the integrated components is essentially on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Although dramatic improvement in lithography has resulted in considerable improvement in 2D integrated circuit (IC) formation, there are physical limits to the density that can be achieved in two dimensions. One of these limits is the minimum size needed to make these components. Also, when more devices are put into one chip, more complex designs are required.
In an attempt to further increase circuit density, three-dimensional (3D) ICs have been investigated. In a typical formation process of a 3D IC, two dies are bonded together and electrical connections are formed between each die and contact pads on a substrate. For example, one attempt involved bonding two dies on top of each other. The stacked dies were then bonded to a carrier substrate and wire bonds electrically coupled contact pads on each die to contact pads on the carrier substrate. This attempt, however, requires a carrier substrate larger than the dies for the wire bonding.
More recent attempts have focused on flip-chip interconnections and the use of conductive balls/bumps to form a connection between the die and the underlying substrate, thereby allowing high-wiring density in a relatively small package. In this situation, a conductive bump is formed on one surface and direct contact is made with a post or pad on the other surface. Misalignment, however, often occurs between the contacts on the opposing surfaces. The misalignment may result in shorts between contacts and/or damage to the devices.
Furthermore, the difference in materials and the respective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values creates stress in the joint region. The stress may cause the joint to crack and/or cause other problems, such as delamination issues of the dielectric layers.